


An Ember Left Unattended

by well_fics



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Cheating, Fanfiction, Gay, M/M, Realistic, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:21:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22079860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/well_fics/pseuds/well_fics
Summary: Rick Grimes and his family take a camping trip in the woods for a family vacation. They rent a cabin that belongs to the Dixon family, which the share with. After Rick’s relationship crumbles with his wife, he finds himself going back to the cabin to spend time with Daryl Dixon. Watch as an unexpected love story unfolds between two men who didn’t see it coming.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Rick Grimes, Lori Grimes/Rick Grimes
Comments: 28
Kudos: 66





	1. Crunchy Leaves

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is my very first fan fiction and I hope you like it. I started the walking dead around season 2, when Rick arrived at the farm, and I just started season 10. I hope you enjoy, and thank you to my editor (who hasn’t made an account yet) for helping me with this story. also i have NO idea how the formatting works and i hate it! I tried the best i could.

The October wind stirred the leaves around Rick Grimes’ feet. It was too chilly for his taste, but it sure beat the summer heat. He looked down at the dead leaves circling his boots, and wondered if this trip was a good idea.

“Get in the car already!” Lori called out. She was talking to their son, Carl, who was running up and down the driveway. 

“But I’m crunching all the leaves!” he replied. Then he went back to stomping on all the fallen leaves that littered the driveway.

_Crunch, crunch, crunch. _Rick actually liked the sound the leaves made as they were pressed against the cement, and he didn’t see what the problem was. They didn’t have to leave right this minute; it’s not like they were on a schedule. After all it was still morning, only 10 a.m.__

____

__

“Rick, can you get your son to cooperate?” Lori asked, annoyed. 

“Aw hell Lori, the boy’s just havin’ a little fun,” Rick responded. “We don’t have to leave just this second.”

“What’s the point of planning this family vacation when it seems like nobody even wants to go?” she shot back.

_Sheesh, she is not in a good mood, _Rick thought.__

____

____

“Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Rick chuckled.

“Ugh! I have had it with you two! Fine, I’m gonna go have another cup of coffee before we leave,” she said, clearly exasperated. 

“If we ever leave,” she mumbled under her breath.

With that Lori slammed the door and retreated back into their home.

“Well damn,” Rick muttered. He didn’t expect her to get so butthurt over his remark. He was just teasing after all. Sometimes he didn’t understand his wife.

In general, Lori didn’t make a whole lot of sense to Rick. She was so high maintenance and had so many double standards that it felt like he could never meet her expectations. She was the one who complained they needed to go on a vacation, but she was so picky throughout the decision process.

At first, she wanted to go to the beach, but Rick shut that down. He explained that it was too cold and it would be no fun if they couldn’t get in the water. They debated for a while and eventually settled on a camping trip. 

Rick had always like camping since he was a boy, and he figured Carl would as well. However, Lori did not like the idea of sleeping in a tent, and only agreed if they could rent a cabin. 

Rick thought it would be funner to rough it in the woods with his son, but he was okay with a cabin. After all, it was the start of October, and he didn’t want to be freezing in a tent all night.

He was proud that his camping idea was accepted by Lori, and he was even happier to see how exited his son was. This would be Carl’s first camping trip, and he was hoping it would become a regular thing between them. It seemed like a great father and son bonding experience to Rick.

He planned on hunting something small, like squirrels, or perhaps catching some fish or frogs. Then they would roast hot dogs and marshmallows for dinner. It sounded great to Rick.

He had found a family that offered to rent out their cabin at a great price. The only condition was that they share it with them, and Rick didn’t really mind the host-guest situation. In fact, it seemed great because the family had agreed to teaching Carl some wilderness skills. It would almost be like a foreign exchange student learning the customs of a new place. Or maybe boy-scouts, something like that.

Rick wanted to get his son out of their pampered urban life. He was not much of a country man himself, and he thought he could learn something neat along with Carl. Survival skills would be a great tool to have, because anything could happen at any moment. And how could Rick say no to all this for just $40 bucks a night?

_Crunch, crunch, crunch. _The sound of the crackling leaves brought Rick back to his senses. What a satisfying sound, he thought to himself. He took a step forward and smushed a few leaves in front of him.__

____

____

“Hey those are mine!” Carl called out. He ran up to Rick and began squishing all the crunchy leaves around him. _Crunch, crunch, crunch._

____

____

“Hey kiddo,” Rick said, ruffling Carl’s hair. “Why ain’t you listenin’ to your mother?”

“I was just steppin on a few leaves,” he shrugged. “And I was about to get in the car anyways.”

“Well go inside and apologize to your mother,” Rick said sternly. “Let’s start this trip off right.”

“Okay…,” Carl said reluctantly. And with that, he turned and trudged towards the house. Rick watched him go and sighed. Maybe he should go inside and talk to Lori as well. He thought about it for a second, then decided he might as well and grab some coffee while he was inside. 

When he walked inside, he was greeted by the strong scent of coffee. Rick loved the smell of coffee, especially in the morning. He wasn’t so fond of the taste, unless it was flavored with chocolate or something, but the smell was comforting.

“It’s okay Carl, I forgive you. Just listen better next time, okay?” he heard Lori say.

Looks like they made up, Rick thought. He was relieved. 

“Save any for me?” Rick asked as he entered the kitchen. 

“I only made a cup for myself,” Lori answered as she sipped from her mug. “Did you want me to make you some?” 

“Nah, it’s alright,” Rick replied. He looked at Lori as she sipped her coffee, and hoped she wasn’t still annoyed with him. “Hey, look I’m sor-,” Rick began.

“No I’m the one who should be apologizing,” Lori intervened. “I’m just a little stressed out. All this packing and, to be honest, this deal sounds a little sketchy to me.”

Rick gulped. He hoped she wasn’t getting cold feet now.

“Aw Lori, it’s gonna be fine,” Rick assured her. “I read some reviews online and it’s totally safe. It’s just a man and his two sons, and I think one of them was a boy scout leader or something.”

The last part wasn’t exactly true, but he figured if they teach kids to start fires and catch frogs it was the same thing. 

“I don’t know Rick…,” Lori said with a frown. “It’s just... weird. Sleeping in a house with strangers.”

“It’ll be fine, trust me. We won’t even see them unless we want to. It’s like a duplex, and we have our own bathroom.” 

“I mean I guess,” Lori said, still unsure of it all  
.  
“It’ll be good for Carl,” Rick explained, hoping Lori would give in. “They’re gonna teach him to start a fire and catch fish and stuff. And I’ll be right there with him.”

“I don’t want our son playing with fire!” Lori said, slamming her cup on the counter. 

Rick watched as some coffee splashed out and dribbled down the side of the cup. _Great, _he thought.__

____

____

Lori walked over to the sink and poured her coffee down the drain. Rick sighed and walked up behind her. He put his arms around her waist and gave her a light hug.

“Everything will be fine, hun,” he said. 

“It better be,” Lori said, still tense.

“Trust me, once we get out there, you’re gonna be glad we went,” Rick promised. She didn’t say anything back.

He gave Lori a kiss on the head, and released her from the hug. He watched her rinse out the mug and set it in the dishrack. Then she walked over to the counter with a damp rag and wiped down the coffee before it could stain.

“Well hurry up and get your son in the car,” she said finally. 

_Yes, _Rick thought, and he grinned. He left the kitchen triumphantly, glad that Lori hadn’t cancelled the trip last-minute.__

____

____

This camping trip was gonna be awesome, he was sure of it.


	2. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and his family arrive at the Dixon Cabin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ty Unicornsfartglitter for helping me fix the formatting issue! and thank everyone else for the support!

The car ride was pretty uneventful. Lori was on her phone the whole time, and Carl asked the occasional question to his father. 

“What will the camp be like?”  
“Can we roast marshmallows?”  
“Are we gonna swim?”

Rick was delighted at the enthusiasm his son was showing. He was pretty confident his vacation trip was the perfect idea.

“Well I dunno about swimming, but I can guarantee that we will indeed be roasting marshmallows,” Rick answered. 

“And the camp dad?”

“Well we’re gonna be staying in a cabin with 3 other people,” Rick explained.

“Kids like me?” Carl inquired. 

“I’m afraid not, son,” Rick informed.

“Oh…” Carl said, sounding disappointed.

“But that’s not gonna stop us from having a great time! Right Lori?”

“Mhm…” Lori answered, eyes glued to her phone screen.

Rick hoped she wouldn’t be like this the whole trip. He wondered if she would even get signal out in the woods. But he didn’t have to wonder very long, however, because just then Lori answered his question with a sigh of annoyance.

“My phone is being slow,” she complained.

“Oh no! What ever shall we do?” Rick joked sarcastically. Lori rolled her eyes and lightly punched Rick on the arm. 

“Are we almost there?” Carl asked.

“We’re not too far,” Rick replied. It was true, for it was only an hour and a half drive, and they had been traveling for about an hour. 

“Well what am I supposed to do now?” Lori asked.

“I dunno. Talk to us??” Rick answered. His wife seemed to always be on her phone, more often than not lately. He figured she had an electronic addiction.

It’s not like Rick didn’t enjoy technology. He himself had a smartphone, though he didn’t use it quite as much as Lori did. He mostly kept it on hand for work, but he was more content with his radio. He saw his phone as a distraction, really, and used it for games more than anything. 

Lori, on the other hand, seemed distraught not being on Instagram for more than five minutes. 

“Is there wifi at the cabin?” she asked, her mood soured.

“I don’t think so, to be honest with you,” Rick chuckled. “Maybe it’s for the best.”

“Well how am I gonna post pictures of our trip?” she demanded. 

“You can take pictures and post them when we get back,” Rick answered quizzically. Was social media clout the only reason she was looking forward to going? 

“What if my phone dies before I can take all the pictures I want? Don’t tell me there’s no electricity either!” Lori grumbled. 

“Of course there’s electricity, hun,” Rick informed his wife. “It’s not the stone ages.”

“Then why isn’t there wifi??” Lori whined, as if it were a right.

“I hate to burst your bubble, but wifi isn’t a necessity. It’ll prolly do you some good to put your phone down and live in the moment.”

Lori crossed her arms and leaned back into her seat. She began to fidget with her earring, twisting and turning it with her fingers. Rick knew she only messed with her jewelry like that when she was in a mood. 

Was she really that spoiled??

The rest of the drive was pretty quiet, except for Carl humming along to the radio. 

******************

When they arrived at their destination, Lori was not impressed. 

“We’re all supposed to fit in this cabin?” Lori protested. “In this dingy little shack?”

It was true, the cabin wasn’t the largest, but it was decently sized. It looked like the pictures Rick had seen in the ad, so he was grateful for that. 

“Wowww!” Carl exclaimed. “Look a dead deer!”

Rick looked in the direction his son was pointing, and he realized Carl was right. 

On the side of the house, there was a dead deer hanging upside-down from a wooden frame. It’s legs were tied together and it had a hole between its eyes.

Rick figured one of the men that lived in the cabin had hunted it, and he was pretty impressed.

“Well ain’t that somethin’,” he said in awe.

Lori didn’t seem to agree with her husband.

“What the hell?!” she exclaimed. “Rick why the hell is there a dead deer over there?”

Rick wondered what was wrong with his wife. She was acting like a snob, and for no reason either. 

“Supper ma’am,” a voice replied.

“What?” Lori asked, very puzzled.

Rick turned to the other side of the house to see where the voice came from. There, standing with a knife in hand, was who Rick figured was the owner of the cabin.

The man was around Rick’s height, with scraggly brown hair, and blue eyes. 

“Hello there,” Rick began. “Rick Grimes, how do ya do?”

“Fine thanks,” the man replied. “Daryl’s the name. Wel-”

“What do you mean supper?” Lori interrupted. “You expect us to eat that?!”

“Fresh white tail,” Daryl answered. “Fixin’ to be some nice chops.”

Lori turned to look at Rick in disbelief, but Rick ignored her and continued talking to the man.

“And you killed this deer?” Rick questioned.

“Guilty,” Daryl answered with a half-smile.

“That’s pretty damn impressive,” Rick admitted to Daryl. “With that knife?”

“Nah,” Daryl replied. “Knife’s too slow.”

“How’d you manage then?” Rick asked, intrigued. “I didn’t hear any gunshots, and it still looks pretty fresh to me.”

“CARL!” Lori cried out suddenly. “Get away from that right now!”

In the midst of their conversation, Carl had walked up to the deer and started poking at it.

“It’s dead mom,” Carl said. He proceeded to kick it, as if to prove his point. “See?”

“Aw Carl, don’t kick it. It’s not yours,” Rick scolded. He turned to Daryl, “I’m sorry about that. Y’see, he’s just exited, that’s all. Been cooped up in the car for a bit.”

“S’no problem,” Daryl reassured.

“Go get your son! Right now!” Lori commanded.

“Carl, come on son!” Rick ordered. “Let’s get to unpacking the car.”

“Need help?” Daryl offered.

“I’d appreciate it, if you don’t mind,” Rick said back. 

Rick appreciated Daryl’s patience with them. Lori had been quite rude about the deer and Carl had downright kicked it. Rick was pretty embarrassed, and he didn’t want to come off as rude guests. After all, Daryl was letting them stay at his home. Rick decided he would have a talk with his family about politeness when they were all situated.

Rick opened the trunk and everyone started getting the luggage out. When everyone was armed with the stuff they brought, Daryl led the way up to the cabin. 

“Follow me,” he instructed. “Make yerselves at home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> would y’all be interested in my social media? i post twd edits on instagram :)


	3. Settling In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made this chapter a little longer than usual. I want them to be a little more lengthy.

The inside of the cabin was surprisingly welcoming. Rick figured it would be super rustic, and in a sense, he was right. 

The cabin was built out of wood, with nice little furnishings around the house. In the living room, there was a small brown couch in front of a fireplace. Cute fuzzy rugs littered the floor, and there was a bookshelf against the wall that held many books, board games, and puzzles. The walls had interesting paintings decorating them, and Rick wondered if Daryl had painted them.

The house smelled of something spicy, like cinnamon, which Rick didn’t expect. So far, it seemed better than he imagined, and he liked the homey atmosphere that the cabin projected. 

“Smells nice in here,” Lori commented as she walked in.

Rick was glad Lori’s attitude had changed. Maybe she would loosen up.

“S’ a candle, ma’am,” Daryl shrugged.

“Oh please, you can call me Lori,” Lori said, stretching her hand out towards Daryl.

Rick sighed a breath of relief. Lori seemed at peace, and he was hoping she would remain that way.

Daryl shook Lori’s hand, the motioned to Carl. “And this would be?”

“I’m Carl,” Carl answered. 

“How’s it goin’ little man?” Daryl asked, offering a fist bump to the boy.

“I wanna kill a deer too!” Carl said, excitedly. He returned the first bump.

“I dunno about starting off with a dear,” Daryl laughed. “But maybe a rabbit. How’s that sound?”

“Yeah! Right now?!” Carl asked, getting pumped up. 

“Well first I gotta show y’all around,” Daryl replied, turning to everyone.

He gestured for the family to follow him again.

“This right here is the living room,” he said, referring to the room they were already in. “On the left is the kitchen, on the right is the bathroom.” 

Then he turned down the hall, with Rick and his family following behind him.

“These first two doors are actually ours,” Daryl stated. “My brother and Pa don’t prefer you go in there.”

“You hear that, Carl?” Rick asked his son. “Off limits. I better not catch you in there.”

“I know, Dad,” Carl replied.

“Where are they, anyway?” Lori asked. “Your brother and dad, I mean.”

“Oh they’re not gonna be here during y’all’s stay,” Daryl explained. “They’re on a fishing trip. Not too fond of strangers, figured it would give y’all more space anyway.”

“Ah, I see.” Lori nodded. 

Rick didn’t mind that, since Lori was bothered by it earlier. And Daryl was still there to help Carl out with the wilderness stuff, so one teacher was better than none.

“This here is y’all’s side of the house,” Daryl said, pointing to the third door at the end of the hallway. 

Daryl opened the door for them and stepped inside.

“I won’t be coming in here without the go-ahead,” he reassured. “And knockin’ o’course.” 

“P‘reciate it,” Rick acknowledged. Then he turned to scope the room out.

In the middle, against the wall, there was a four poster king-sized bed with a full canopy. 

“Wow,” Lori admired. 

She sat her bags at the foot of the bed, then plopped on it. 

“Mmm,” she hummed as she spread her arms out across the blankets. “Cozy.”

Rick smirked. He was satisfied that Lori was content with the place. 

Rick figured this was the master bedroom of the house, for it was very spacious. He noticed a sliding glass door on the side of the room, with the curtains drawn. When he looked out, he knew he had chosen the right place.

The sliding glass door led to the back side of the house. In the clearing of trees there was a fire pit in the middle, surrounded by wooden logs. To the side, there were clothes pinned up to a clothesline, drying in the afternoon sun. Rick also spotted a black motorcycle, propped up on a kickstand, surrounded by tools.

Daryl didn’t seem like the biker type to Rick, but he also couldn’t see him driving any sort of car. A truck if anything. 

And lastly, near the edge of the forest, was a small shed. Rick assumed the hunting supplies were kept in there, and he was just as exited as Carl to see what Daryl had in store for them.

“You bike?” Rick asked, turning back to the room.

Daryl was showing Carl the bathroom attached the the side of Rick’s room. He looked up.

“Somewhat,” he replied. 

“Looks like you’ve been working on it. Something the matter with it?” Rick asked.

“Just tunin’ it up,” Daryl answered.

“Mm,” Rick nodded.

“Well that’s about it really. Now if you don’t mind, I’m gonna go fix up that deer,” Daryl said.

“Oh go right ahead,” Rick replied. 

He wondered how Daryl was gonna prepare it. He didn’t want to think too much on it, because the thought of skinning a deer was pretty gross to Rick. 

“Can I go too?” Carl asked. 

Daryl looked at Rick. “If it’s alright with you?”

“Yeah go ahead kiddo,” Rick told Carl. If his son wanted to see the deer get butchered, that was fine by him. But he sure as hell didn’t want to see it. 

With that, Daryl and Carl headed out of the room to skin the deer.

Lori sat up on the bed. “I was thinking of fixing up some lunch,” she announced.

“Sounds good to me,” Rick replied. He didn’t realize how hungry he was, and breakfast seemed like forever ago.

“What do you think of this place?” Rick asked, taking a seat next to his wife.

“It’s not bad,” Lori admitted, poking a pillow.

“I think you like it,” Rick teased. 

“I suppose…” Lori smiled. 

She whacked Rick lightly with the pillow.

“Well I sure as hell do,” Rick said, leaning in and giving Lori a kiss.

“What do you want for lunch?” Lori asked.

“How about some sandwiches?” Rick suggested. 

“Alright,” Lori replied, standing up. “Did y’all bring the ice chest in? And the bag of the dry foods?”

“Yeah, I think Daryl took them to the kitchen,” Rick told her as she headed out of their room. 

“Make one for Daryl too, while you’re at it,” Rick called after her.

“Alright, and I’m gonna load the fridge with the stuff we brought. I hope he doesn’t mind.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Rick said, staring up at the canopy above him.

Rick thought the bed was pretty fancy, like something fit for a king.

He looked back out through the sliding glass door, and saw Daryl and Carl laughing as they walked around the house. It was good to see they were getting along.

Sometimes Rick wondered if Carl was lonely, since he didn’t seem to have many friends. Sure, they’ve had a few kids from school come over, but Carl didn’t exactly have a best friend. He was only ten, and he didn’t have any brothers or sisters either.

Rick wondered what Daryl did for a living. They could live off the land, but they needed some source of income to keep the lights and water on. 

Rick figured they hunted and sold their kills. He hoped Daryl would show them how to hunt and cook fresh meat. Not only would that be badass, it would also be super useful. 

When he spoke to Daryl via email, Daryl told Rick of the activities they could do. He planned stuff such as building traps, starting small fires, fishing, how to identify poisonous and safe foods in the wild, tracking, and other wilderness tactics.

Rick wondered how Daryl answered him in the first place, if they didn’t have connection out here.

“Hey Lori!” Rick yelled from the room.

“Yeah babe?” Lori called back.

“Do you still have no signal?”

“I dunno,” she responded. “Check my phone.”

Rick leaned to the bedside table and picked up Lori’s phone. No bars.

_Weird _, Rick thought. Then it hit him. He probably used the library for internet access. That’s where Rick saw the ad in the first place.__

__Rick thought. _The library is about an hour or more away from here. _____

____Rick was puzzled. _Why would Daryl go so far out of his way to post an ad? _____ _ _

______His thoughts were interrupted by Lori._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Food babe!” she called from the kitchen._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Coming!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Rick walked back through the hallway, and into the kitchen._ _ _ _ _ _

______On the counter was a platter of turkey sandwiches, chips, and chopped up fruit._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Can you bring that out to the back?” Lori asked._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You got it,” Rick said, lifting the tray._ _ _ _ _ _

______Lori opened the door for him, and they both made their way around the house. There was a nice veranda going around most of the cabin._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Carl!” Rick called out. “Lunch time!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Over here!” Carl answered._ _ _ _ _ _

______Rick went over to Daryl and Carl, who were sitting on some logs. Daryl was going to town on the deer._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Uh we brought some food for you too,” Rick said, looking at the mess._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Aw, y’all didn’t have to go and do that,” Daryl said sheepishly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s no problem,” Rick replied._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m kinda in the middle of this deer though,” Daryl said, motioning to the bloody carcass._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh, right,” Rick said back._ _ _ _ _ _

______Duh, he thought. He didn’t realize he was interrupting Daryl from a messy task._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We can wrap it up for you,” Rick said._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Thanks man,” Daryl replies. digging his knife back into the deer._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Thanks for having us,” Rick said. “This is gonna be tons of fun, ain’t it Carl?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You bet,” Carl laughed. “I’m gonna skin a rabbit!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Gross,” Lori said in disgust. “I think I’m gonna head back inside.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Lori looked queasy at the sight of the deceased animal that Daryl had been working on._ _ _ _ _ _

______Rick had to admit, the scene was unsightly and kind of sad. He felt bad for the deer, but humans were at the top of the food chain, and that’s life._ _ _ _ _ _

______Lori turned and headed back to the cabin._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Did you kill this before we came?” Rick asked._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Early this mornin’,” Daryl answered. “Been lettin’ it sit for a bit.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Rick tried to not look at the deer’s cold, dead eyes. It made him uncomfortable._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m gonna hack this up and take it to the shed.” Daryl announced._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What’s in the shed?” Caryl asked._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Freezer,” Daryl replied. “S’ gonna save it for winter.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Do you ever sell the stuff you hunt?” Rick asked._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, but this deer’s a lil small,” Daryl explained. “This is just some food for me and my brother.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Rick tried to imagine having to hunt for his dinner instead of running to the grocery store. The thought of eating fresh meat was kind of unsettling. He didn’t know why, because meat from the store came from animals like this as well._ _ _ _ _ _

______It was probably healthier anyways. Super fresh, and Daryl would be sure his food came from a reliable source._ _ _ _ _ _

______Once again, Rick was impressed._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s pretty awesome,” Rick said._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s pretty fun too. S’ like a sport,” Daryl replied._ _ _ _ _ _

______Rick and Carl ate their lunch and discussed their plans for the next few days with Rick._ _ _ _ _ _

______They set up a schedule to do learning and techniques the first day, and put them to the test the next._ _ _ _ _ _

______Carl had no school monday, so they were staying at the cabin the whole weekend._ _ _ _ _ _

______Rick looked forward to fishing most of all, and he was exited for tomorrow._ _ _ _ _ _

______Eventually, Daryl finished up with the deer._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’ll meet you back in the house in a bit,” Daryl told Rick._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Alright,” Rick agreed as he picked up the lunch tray. “Come on Carl,”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Carl and Rick started walking back to the cabin._ _ _ _ _ _

______Everything seemed to be going smoothly until they heard a low growl nearby._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, ty for all the kudos, comments, and support!


	4. Campfire Stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i thought of the scary story from adventures in babysitting when i wrote this chapter 🤣

“Daryl!” Rick yelled.

Daryl looked up from his handiwork. 

Near the porch, Rick and Carl were slowly backing away from Dog, who had a deep growl coming from the back of his throat.

“Dog!” Daryl snapped. “C’mere!”

Dog whipped around and bounded towards Daryl.

“Sit,” Daryl commanded, pointing sternly at his feet.

Dog obediently complied with his master.

“Is that your dog?” Rick nervously asked. “Gave me quite the fright.”

“Yeah, sorry ’bout that,” Daryl answered. “He’s harmless, all bark, no bite.”

“Why ain’t he got a collar?” Rick asked.

“No need,” Daryl replied. “He don’t see much else. Ain’t a lotta folk out here.”

“Ah,” Rick said, relaxing.

“Does he do tricks?” Carl asked.

“Tricks?” Daryl questioned.

“Like roll over or high five,” Carl said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Not really,” Daryl admitted. “But he can fetch.”

“Do you have a ball I can toss with him?” Carl asked, exited. “Dad won’t let me have a dog.”

“Nah. He fetches things like birds and such.”

“Oh…” Carl said, disappointed.

“You can try a stick though,” Daryl suggested.

“Alright,” Carl replied.

Carl walked cautiously up to Dog, and stuck his hand out to pet him. Dog sniffed his palms, then gave him the okay by lapping his hand, covering it in slobber. 

“Eww,” Carl laughed, wiping his wet hand on Dog’s back. Dog wagged his tail and started panting. 

“What’s his name?” Carl asked.

“Dog,” Daryl answered.

“Dog? That’s not a name,” Carl said in confusion.

“Sure it is, simple as it gets,” Daryl said confidently.

“I suppose…” Carl replied.

“Don’t go too far,” Rick told Carl.

“Come on boy!” Carl said, patting his knees and running.

Dog barked and ran after Carl , off to play fetch with his new house guest.

“Nice dog you got there,” Rick told Daryl.

“Sure as hell is,” Daryl replied.

“German shepard?” Rick asked.

“Probably,” Daryl answered. “N’ somethin’ else. Mutt.”

“I see,” Rick began. 

“Well I’m gonna finish up,” Daryl said, motioning back to the deer.

“Right,” Rick said, looking at the messy carcass that would soon be venison. 

“And I’m gonna finish this up,” he said said, holding up the tray with the leftovers.

Rick watched as Daryl sat back down and picked up his knife. 

_What an interesting man, _Rick thought. Daryl seemed so unphased by skinning an animal, and Rick tried to picture himself doing the same. He couldn’t.__

__As Rick entered the house, he was once again greeted by the smell of spices. It was a nice change from the smell of deer._ _

__“He don’t like sandwiches or what?” Lori asked._ _

__“He was busy with the deer,” Rick explained. “Bloody hands.”_ _

__“Ah,” Lori replied._ _

__Rick put the platter in the fridge, which was now neatly organized, thanks to Lori._ _

__“Hey babe,” Lori called from the living room. “Do you think he’d mind if I built one of these puzzles?”_ _

__“I don’t see why not,” Rick answered as he exited the kitchen._ _

__“Let’s take a look, shall we,” Lori said, browsing the bookshelf._ _

__There were all sorts of puzzles, ranging from many sizes and designs._ _

__“Well I don’t wanna do one with too many pieces,” Lori began. “Those take forever.”_ _

__“How about a hundred piece set?” Rick suggested._ _

__“Sure but you have to help me,” Lori answered._ _

__“Alright, fair enough,” Rick replied._ _

__Lori selected a puzzle with a coral reef on it. She sat on the floor in front of the couch and dumped it out._ _

__“Let’s start with the border,” Lori instructed._ _

__“Fine by me,” Rick answered, kicking off his boots and laying across from his wife._ _

__For the next hour, Rick and Lori worked on the puzzle while idly talking._ _

__When they were almost done, Carl came back to the cabin._ _

__“I’m gonna teach Dog to high five,” he announced._ _

__“Go for it,” Rick laughed._ _

__“Wanna come help us finish this puzzle?” Lori offered._ _

__“Sure,” Carl answered._ _

__He laid on the couch and leaned over to inspect the work his parents had done while he was out._ _

__“Hey mom,” Carl said as he put a piece into place. “Can we get a dog?”_ _

__“A dog?” Lori asked. “I don’t know Carl…”_ _

__“Pleaseee,” Carl begged._ _

__“It’s a lot of work and responsibility,” Lori warned._ _

__“I’ll take care of it, promise!” Carl tried._ _

__“We‘ll have to think about it,” Lori said, looking at Rick._ _

__“Mmm,” Rick said, not really paying attention._ _

__**********************************_ _

__Later that evening, Daryl started up the firepit. And as Rick promised, they were gonna eat hot dogs and marshmallows._ _

__After Rick insisting, Daryl had given in and agreed to eat the food offered._ _

__“Let’s tell scary stories!” Carl suggested as he twirled his hot dog over the flames._ _

__“Know any good ones?” Lori asked._ _

__“Not really,” Rick laughed._ _

__Everyone looked at Daryl._ _

__“Ah shit,” Daryl laughed. “Suppose I could muster one up.”_ _

__“”Let’s hear it then,” Rick said, taking a bite of his hot dog._ _

__“Alright,” Daryl agreed. He cleared his throat._ _

__“Once there was this horrible man,” Daryl began, staring at the fire._ _

__“He was a nasty fella, rude and a drunk.”_ _

__Carl leaned in, intrigued._ _

__“And to teach him a lesson, a few guys decided to handcuff him to a stop sign for the night.”_ _

__“My dad handcuffs bad guys,” Carl chimed in._ _

__“Does he now?” Daryl asked, raising a brow._ _

__“Sheriff,” Rick nodded, taking another bite of his hot dog._ _

__“Ah,” Daryl replied. “Anyways, these guys thought if they let him sleep outside all night, it would punish him, you know, for all the bad things he did.”_ _

__“What kind of punishment is that?” Carl snickered._ _

__“Something I’m gonna do to you when you act up,” Rick joked._ _

__“Oh stop,” Lori laughed. “Hush now, so we can hear the story.”_ _

__She motioned for Daryl to continue._ _

__“So they took him to a pub, y’see, to get him drunk.” Daryl continued. “And when they left, he staggered out, and they chained him to a stop sign down the street.”_ _

__“That’s mean, but funny,” Carl laughed._ _

__“The man wailed _‘Lemme free! _’” Daryl told his audience. “ _Y’all are all wusses! Fight me like a man, why don’t ya! _”_____ _

______“But the guys all laughed at him,” Daryl said. “ _You’ll have to chop your arm off if you wanna get anywhere, _they told him.”___ _ _ _ _ _

________“Did he do it?” Carl asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Course not,” Daryl answered. “After his fit, he passed out, chained to the sign. Slept there all night.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That was a lame story,” Carl said disappointedly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“But,” Daryl started. “The next day, the group of guys who chained him to the sign all lost _their _hands.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?” Carl asked in confusion._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“One guy got his hand caught in a machine at work, tore it right off.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ewww,” Carl said in disgust._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Another guy went to the beach the next day, and a shark bit his whole arm off,” Daryl continued. “All the way up to the shoulder.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Carl shifted in his seat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“And the last guy…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Daryl paused, looking around._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“The last guy was telling a story to a family at a campfire,” Daryl began, reaching into his vest._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He paused again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“How did he lose it?” Carl asked, getting anxious._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, the family had a little boy, about your age,” Daryl nodded at Carl._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Lori and Rick looked at each other, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“During dinner, which I believe was hot dogs…” Daryl started._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Carl looked at the hot dog he was roasting, then back at Daryl._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“When all of a sudden-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________And with that, Daryl quickly pulled a leather glove out of his vest and threw it at Carl._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“AHH!” Carl screamed as he dropped his hot dog in the fire. “DAD! DAD!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rick and Lori busted out laughing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That was a good one,” Lori wheezed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You should’ve seen your face!” Rick laughed, nearly choking on his hot dog._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Carl was not amused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You made me drop my hot dog,” Carl scowled as he picked up Daryl’s glove._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“My bad,” Daryl said, suppressing a laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Carl handed the glove back to Daryl._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I wasn’t even that scared,” he said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________This resulted in even more laughter from everyone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________*****************************_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________After dinner and campfire stories, everyone headed back into the cabin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Daryl headed into one of the off limit rooms, and Rick and his family headed to theirs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Carl, time for a bath,” Lori said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m tired,” Carl whined._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“And you have to brush your teeth mister,” Lori said sternly. “And change into your pjs.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ughhh,” Carl grunted, heading to the bath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rick laid on the bed, suddenly realizing how tired he was._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You too,” Lori said relentlessly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rick looked over at his wife, who had a hand on her hip and a serious look on her face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“And get off the bed, you smell like smoke.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rick mustered up enough energy to change into a T-shirt and his boxers, then brushed his teeth. After that, he flopped back on the bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He heard Lori and Carl’s talking begin to fade out as he drifted into sleep._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________This was a great choice, _Rick thought, before finally giving in and falling asleep.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	5. Nitpicking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, a bit of a short chapter today. This chapter is from Daryl’s point of view. Tbh, I’m just writing this story as I go, so ig this was my go at trying to fill in some plot holes. Try not to think too hard about it, it’s a fan fiction after all. Can we pretend like this is realistic? thx. ;p
> 
> ooh, and also still having minor issues with formatting. idk why but sometimes the italics just won’t work. rip :(

Daryl laid in his brother’s bed, staring at the ceiling. He could hear the Grimes’ family laughing in the other room as they were getting ready for bed.

_It must be nice, _Daryl thought. _To have a functional family._ __

____

____

____The Dixon’s were anything but functional._ _ _ _

____His mom had died in an accident when he was young. She had fallen asleep with a cigarette in hand, causing Daryl’s home and happiness to disappear that day._ _ _ _

____His mom wasn’t the best of mom’s, a drunk really, but when she was sober she loved her boys._ _ _ _

____His dad on the other hand, was as terrible as they come. Will Dixon had been a raging alcoholic as long as Daryl could remember. And a gambler. And an abuser. An abuser of drugs and his own family._ _ _ _

____Daryl tried to shake the negative thoughts out of his head. He didn’t want to ruin his day, and he sure as hell didn’t want nightmares of his dad either._ _ _ _

____Things were going great for Daryl at the moment. He had found a part time job at a coffee shop decently close enough to his house, was making a profit off of his game, and he now started a lodge business._ _ _ _

____He had been selling his game ever since he was able to hunt, and the coffee shop job wasn’t hard to land. The cabin situation, on the other hand, succeeded much to Daryl’s surprise._ _ _ _

____It’s not like he desperately needed the extra income, but he figured it couldn’t hurt. He didn’t really remember how the idea came to him, but he gave it a shot nonetheless._ _ _ _

____Perhaps it was that he wished someone was there to teach him when he was younger. Maybe he wanted to share his knowledge of the outdoors with others. Hell, maybe he was just downright lonely._ _ _ _

____It had been two months since his brother and father had been put behind bars._ _ _ _

____It was all so stupid to Daryl. His brother had been caught for his side business of selling green, and to minors no less. And his father? That dumbass landed himself in jail for assaulting a cop with his own taser._ _ _ _

____Daryl didn’t know how his father managed to nab the taser from a policeman, but he figured if his dad was capable of that, the police training headquarters needed to step up their game._ _ _ _

____Daryl remembered getting two phone calls. One from his dad and one from his brother, Merle._ _ _ _

____Will Dixon was going to be locked up longer than Merle, but Daryl didn’t remember by how long. To be honest, he didn’t care when he got the call letting him know his only relatives were gonna be gone from his life. He figured it was better for the world anyway._ _ _ _

____His dad was problematic enough and his brother was a racist asshole. He felt kind of sorry for his brother and the stupid choices he made. But that was on him, and Daryl didn’t need that bringing him down._ _ _ _

____So he lied._ _ _ _

____He had told his first customers, the Grimes’ family, that his brother and Dad were on a fishing trip. He had lied that they were doing it as to not inconvenience Rick and his family. To give them more space in fact._ _ _ _

____Daryl thought it would sound better on his flyers to have three instructors instead of just him. Make it seem more official he thought._ _ _ _

____Daryl went through a bunch of emotions when coming up with the cabin lodge plan. He went through self-doubt, pride, bewilderment, hope, despair, and curiosity in various stages._ _ _ _

____At first, he thought his idea was brilliant, and shared it with his friends Jesus and Beth._ _ _ _

____Jesus and Beth were his co-workers from the coffee shop. They got along fairly well, and when Daryl brought up his plan, he was surprised when they shot it down._ _ _ _

____Jesus explained that he would need to be official and have permits and all these fancy shmancy papers. And Beth reminded him there could be lawsuits and whatnot, and it seemed like it would be impossible._ _ _ _

____But Daryl didn’t give up. He made some crappy flyers and discreetly posted them in public places. For example, he posted one on the corkboard at work, the bulletin board at the library, and rec center at the YMCA._ _ _ _

____They blended in well with all the other papers, so Daryl didn’t think any officials would notice his probably illegal flyers._ _ _ _

____Daryl had to admit, he had been false advertising. He wasn’t too sure what to even include as activities, so he just wrote down the things he was good at._ _ _ _

____And sure enough, he had gotten an email from Rick Grimes within the next week._ _ _ _

____Daryl had been thinking of going back to tear down his flyers, when he luckily checked his email._ _ _ _

____Daryl didn’t have wifi at his house, so he had been going to the library every day in hope of a response. The library was quite far, but Daryl didn’t mind._ _ _ _

____Something about riding his motorcycle put him at ease, so he didn’t mind the long drive. It was the same with work. An hour’s drive wasn’t a nuisance to Daryl, as it gave him time to unwind._ _ _ _

____So when Daryl checked his inbox and had seen a new message, he was ecstatic._ _ _ _

____The man had agreed to stay for the weekend with his family, as this made Daryl nervous._ _ _ _

____He wasn’t worried about getting robbed, for he could take care of himself. He was nervous that his business would flop, or an accident would occur._ _ _ _

____He had Rick digitally sign some lease form he copy and pasted from google, and prayed for the best._ _ _ _

____He didn’t think Rick was stupid, but Daryl himself had to admit what he was doing sounded totally sketch: inviting strangers far out into the woods to an unofficial camp._ _ _ _

____The more Daryl thought about it, the more his stomach began to turn._ _ _ _

_____I’ll take the flyers down tomorrow, _he decided._ _ _ _ __

______Daryl planned on going into town early in the morning. He was gonna swing by the grocery store and pick up some little things for his guests._ _ _ _ _ _

______Even though Rick had said he would provide his own food, Daryl thought he should offer something complimentary, like coffee or tea. Daryl never kept coffee at his home, since he always got it free at work._ _ _ _ _ _

______He set his alarm for 4am, and tried not to criticize himself anymore. Daryl turned on his side and pulled the blanket up close to his chin._ _ _ _ _ _

______He sighed and tried to think happy thoughts as he drifted off to sleep._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, ty for reading! i love all the comments and kudos i get, they keep me motivated to write. <3
> 
> some other good rickyl reads on this site:
> 
> \- the shark heart  
> \- to tell an age old story  
> \- blooms among the dead  
> \- and when october goes


	6. GOODBYE EMBER

hey guys, i’m putting this story off as it feels too messy to me.

i’m thinking of starting a new story in which daryl works as a barista that serves rick his morning coffee every day. 

idk if i’ll ever pick this story back up bc i just wasn’t feeling it.

ty for understanding <3

**Author's Note:**

> This story is gonna pick up a little slow, and I hope you liked the first chapter. I haven’t decided a set schedule yet, since idk if this will flop. Feel free to leave comments ❤️ (I wrote this in doc on mobile and then copy and pasted it. I tried the formatting but i’m still struggling.)


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